Inuyama castle is the one of the five Japanese castles which their tenshu are listed as National treasures of Japan. The other four castles are; Himeji, Matsue, Matsumoto and Hikone. It is also the 12 castles which still have the original tenshu since Edo period.
Other four castles are owned by the authorities for a long time but Inuyama castle was owned by a private owner for a very long time and moved the ownership to a foundation in 2004. Inuyama castle was the only privately owned castle in Japan.
It was rebuilt from a fortress to a castle in 1469 by a uncle of Nobunaga Oda, one of the three famous samurai warlord in the history of Japan.
Due to long time of private ownership and lack of advertisement, Inuyama castle is unfortunately not known to public as well as Himeji or Matsumoto.
Inuyama castle can be reached on foot from Inuyama or Inuyama yuen stations on Meitetsu Inuyama line which is approximately 40 minutes train ride from Nagoya. Please note that Meitetsu is private railway company and Japan Rail Pass cannot be used. Also watch out that Meitetsu Nagoya station is quite complicated for even for non-local Japanese!